Are you connecting with your audience the right way?

Because our brains process vast amounts of data on a daily basis, a lot of what we consume feels seamless. Language flows in and out of our audience’s consciousness without us realising the subtlety of what the words are actually doing.

When you read something, you don’t necessarily analyse the point of view, the perspective it is written from and why it was written with that particular point-of-view. Subconsciously though, we are accepting or rejecting the message depending on how well we are connecting with the language.

Here is a simple break down of the three points of view you can communicate with:

1. First person

First person talks about “I”
If you communicate in the first person you are
— Getting your audience to think about you, and not them
— Allowing them to ask “is this someone I should follow?”Who it works best for
Celebrities, and top-of-the-top influencers focus on themselves and their achievements – their audience wants to learn from them. Fashion bloggers/stylists, and off-the-shelf experts often use first person – with varied success.

Best audience
People who are typically looking for something to model themselves on will turn to a celebrity or industry leader to ‘follow’ their example. Business leaders, self-help gurus, and health industry leaders typically communicate in the first person.

How it works for b2b blogging
Medium impact – there is so much intelligent, useful information available, unless you are a Kardashian selling skirts to pre-teens, you will have a hard time grabbing and holding the attention of your audience.

2. Second person

Second person talks to “you”
If you are communicating in the second person you are speaking directly to the person reading or viewing your blog.
You are
— Making them and their needs the most important aspect of your communication
— Showing that you really do know who they are.

Who it works best for
It works best for anyone you are trying to create a connection with. As humans we think about ourselves more than 80% of the time – our brains are wallpapered with the words “what’s in it for me?”. Most sales and marketing communications are in the second person.

Best Audience
Anyone who has a need or a problem they want solved – for businesses, if you have a solution to a problem, then communicating in the second person is an essential skill.

How it works for blogging
High impact – “hey, this blog has totally got my number – they know what I need, why I need it and bingo, they seem to know how to help me!” Any business who solves a problem can use the second person point-of-view to keep the focus on their audience, with no distractions.

3. Third person

Third person talks about “them”
If you communicate in the third person you are telling a story. Novels are mostly written in the third person.
You are
— Creating scenes and characters that engage your audience
— Keeping them engaged with drama, archetypal characters, story arcs, and good writing

Who it works best for
Novelists, screen-writers and story-tellers, documentaries, mockumentaries.

Best Audience
People who like to explore the possibilities of the known and unknown universe and draw parallels with their own experiences and understanding.

How it works for blogging
Low impact – in order to get your message across with the impact you need, third person is probably one of the most difficult point-of-view to use. A short parable, or a very well-crafted metaphor can be very effective but you have to be sure your audience will ‘get it’ for it to be effective. The exception to the rule is Case Studies which can use third person point-of-view very effectively.

No matter which point of view you choose to utilise in your business blog, make sure it is right for your audience, the most powerful way to deliver your message and executed with the skill required.